That this time was not being used wisely by the leadership of Idaho was not fully appreciated by anyone outside of Boise. Even there only a select group understood the political reality that prevailed in the state. While it was widely known that there had never been more than a handful of people who influenced the state’s agenda, no one knew that the introduction of the militia groups into the equation meant that there were now even fewer running the show. Had Scott known just how radically the political landscape in Idaho had changed, he would have had second thoughts about stopping when he did.

The first hint that the situation they were facing had changed came on the afternoon of November 9. Scouts sent forth to locate the Idaho Guard and encourage a resumption of their retreat had been fired on. In one incident a platoon of the 1st of the 9th’s ground troop had become involved in a heated fire fight with a Guard outpost not far from Glenns Ferry. This skirmish had resulted in the campaign’s first serious confrontation and the realization that bloodshed could not be avoided.

By the evening of November 9th it had become clear that the Idaho Guard had ceased their retreat. Taking up positions in the vicinity of Glenns Ferry, the main combat units of the Guard’s 114th Armored Cavalry Brigade began to dig in. Probes of those positions by 1-9 Cav in the early morning hours of the 10th were thrown back with heavy losses. Faced with this development, Scott called his senior commanders and staff together to assess the situation and prepare for the next phase of the operation.

This gathering took place on the western edge of Black Mesa, just south of Interstate 84. From there they could survey the ground that the division would have to cross in order to come to grips with the 114th Armored Cavalry. None of the professional soldiers gathered on Black Mesa much liked what they saw. They hadn’t been encouraged by their preliminary map reconnaissance after a warning order had been put out earlier that morning. They were even less inspired now that they had been afforded the opportunity to see the ground itself.